


Imagine, if you will...

by LastHarlequin



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Fond fantasies, GAAAAAAAAAAY, M/M, Milkshakes make everything better, Sweatshirts, Zell is an idiot, will he won't he
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25995064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastHarlequin/pseuds/LastHarlequin
Summary: Zell has an encounter with Raijin that leaves him with questions he doesn't feel equipped to answer, Selphie is more than happy to help.
Relationships: Zell Dincht/Raijin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6
Collections: Island Closest to Hell





	Imagine, if you will...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChibisUnleashed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibisUnleashed/gifts).



Selphie sat her feet kicking gently on the high top stool. Her hands wrapped around a tall thick milkshake. Early autumn was the perfect time of year in her opinion. Not that anyone had asked, but it was privately her favorite season. Many would have ventured summer for her love of dresses that shared their name, but no, there was something wonderful about sweaters. Wrapped up to her chin with a sweet, frosty drink slowly pulling through a metal straw. She opened her eyes with a pleased sigh to consider the one who had facilitated this great little outing. Zell, sweet Zell, had his chin resting on the table with his hands piled over his head. He hadn’t said anything yet, but the pensive, open look to his face was expressive as always and she could tell he was troubled. 

“I can’t help you with your problem if you don’t tell me what it is, Mr. Zell.” She said sweetly, taking another pull of the milkshake. This statement seemed to have utterly shocked Zell and he jolted a little then snapped up.

“Oh, shoot, right. Well…” he started, then trailed off and his head slowly began to sink again. Selphie pulled the long spoon from her drink and used its tip to tap him on the nose, leaving a quickly melting dollop of milkshake.

“Ah! Right, so, I was at the gym, keeping on top of my game, right? And I was leaving, normal day, yeah? Raijin was there too, all three of ‘um even. But no joke, Fujin straight up pushes him at me then she and Seifer split! So… like.” Zell says wandering again until Selphie starts reaching with her spoon again.

“Right so He just walks up to me and. LIke, he’s not the most eloquent guy, he’s like ‘Hey, so I was wanting to get into adding some legwork to my style, and you’re the best pugilist in the Garden, y’know? Want to get some lunch and maybe talk about a joint schedule?’ which, hey, he’s right, who am I to argue so I’m all ‘sure’ bygones and all, they’ve been cool and I never really had a problem with Raijin, so I figure why not, yeah?” Selphie’s eyes were closely watching Zell as he talked his hands gesticulating wildly as he pantomimes his way through the encounter, deepening his voice in a terrible impersonation of Raijin, but she gets the message.

“So’s we head to that little cafe, we were in the Balamb gym by the way, shoulda said. Anyway, we sit down and like, legit we’re getting on, and that’s pretty cool. We get a rough outline talked out to start doing something and I don’t even remember how but we start talking about our respective love lives.” Zell admitted distantly slowly sinking his head back toward the surface of the tabletop, his voice getting quieter. “And I guess I mentioned how Sally, y’know the library girl? Yeah well… that didn’t last too long, and it was kind of a bummer and all and he was vaguely talking about his attempts and how he’s had his eye on some guy for a while. Little shocking, but hey, he never struck me as the kind who would have a problem asking someone if he liked them. But he was being really cagey about the whole business and I went up and was all ‘hey man, I appreciate trying to get a feel for somebody, but at some point you just gotta ask’ and we was all ‘well I tried to, but I kind like half chickened out you know?’ so I was all, ‘well what did you say, my dude’ and he went ‘well I asked him if he’d like to help me work some kicks into my style’ and I was like, huh that was a weird thing to~” Zell’s rambling monologue was interrupted by a spray of milkshake as Selphie weezed into the straw by accident and the bubble sprayed ice cold treat everywhere. The helpless laughter while she helped him clean up had him in beet red silence the whole time.

Selphie caught her breath and Zell stared at the tabletop in mortified silence until she had recovered.

“Sorry! So sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you! What happened next?” she said sweetly patting his arm and giving him a warm and encouraging smile. It took a little arm-rubbing and eventually a sip of her milkshake but he continued.

“...so… wait, where was I? Oh right, so like. I was all ‘oh, well, wait a second!’ and he tried to actually slip out to go pay the bill and I’m all, no man hold on here, you’re saying you’re trying to date me?” and he got all cagey and defensive and weaselly. But he said yeah kinda y’know you’re a good looking guy, lots of energy and i feel like we could really vibe.’ and I was like, yeah man I’m flattered but I never dated a guy before, and it was super awkward and I don’t know if I even, or like how I even feel about it all. Like I never really did the dating thing before, like Sally, she was cute, you know? But once we, like, started really trying the dating thing, there wasn’t really anything between us. Like no shared interests…” Zell tapered off as he finally looked up to see Selphie positively beaming at him, brighter than the summer sun.

“So you told him yes!?” Selphie bounced in her seat leaning in.

“NO!” Zell shouted and Selphie became the absolute picture of dejection. “Well like, I didn’t say no…” and the sun rose again and he had to hold up both hands to forestall her. “Hey! Hold on, I don’t even know how I feel about this all, like with a lady it’s easy like ‘yeah, she’s pretty’ but I don’t even know how to judge a guy on that kind of scale! That’s why I wanted to talk to you, you like, I donno, seem like you get this sort of stuff?” Zell said looking hopelessly confused. Selphie, taking her time, kicked her feet a little more forcefully and sucked on her straw. She looked out the window, considering the bright color of the sky, smacking her lips as she gathered her thoughts.

“So, you want to know how to tell if you might want to date Raijin?” Selphie asked, turning back to Zell. He hung his head before replying.

“Maybe?” was all he could conjure.

“So. Easy way to tell. Close your eyes.” She said tapping his arm again until he did as she asked.

“Imagine, eyes closed, think about him. Imagine his chiseled physique. The man takes care of himself, good care. And think about putting your hands on that toned body. Just on his sides.” She said as Zell frowned in concentration.

“Imagining it?” Zell nodded slowly. “Think about how warm and strong it’d feel. Imagine putting your arms around him, think about how it would feel as he leaned down and put those big strong arms around you. The feeling of the muscles sliding under his skin, the sound of his heartbeat against your ear as he holds you close…” She said leaning in and speaking softer as Zell slowly regained every single shade of color he had managed to shed and then a brand new one. 

“Wouldn’t it be cool? Just so impressive to feel that, and to know he wanted to hold you so soft? Think, that could be every day?” Zell’s face resembled the maraschino cherry on her milkshake and she settled in, slowly sliding her milkshake toward him.

“Imagine sharing a meal, those strong hands feeding you your favorite food. That heavy accent laughing at your jokes and his big brown eyes looking at you with love?” Selphie crooned softly as Zell let out a despairing moan.

“Oh noooooo…..” he groaned. 

“Take a sip zell, you look like you’re going to me~lt. Like thick dark chocola~Te.” she said snapping her t’s for emphasis.

“So I guess I should tell him yes, then huh?” He said taking far more than a sip of the milkshake.

“Oh yeah definitely, you’re a thirsty boy, y’know?” She said giggling as Zell sputtered and gagged at her impression after trying to inhale with a mouth full of milkshake. Yes. Autumn was definitely the best time of the year.

**Author's Note:**

> A spur of the moment drabble based on the Questionable Content page for 08/19/20, #4333, stolen without mercy. Enjoy.


End file.
